Rotary piston engine



5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 16, 1961 INVENTOR KURT WELM BY V WAW ATTORNEYS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 16, 1961 Rm 0 T WN vLJ m w l m K ATTORNEYS NOV. 9, 1965 w ROTARY PISTON ENGINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 16, 1961 INVENTOR KURT WELM BY H%.,M

ATTORNEY United States Patent ROTARY PISTON ENGINE Kurt Welm, Karntnerstrasse 33,

Ludwigsburg 14a, Germany Filed Jan. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 83,091 Claims priority, application Germany, Feb. 17, 1960, W 27,258 1 Claim. (Cl. 123-15) The present invention relates to rotary piston engines, more particularly of the type in which a piston rotates eccentrically within a cylindrical chamber thereby successively to open and close inlet and exhaust ports and to provide explosion and exhaust chambers of progressively varying volumes. The invention is principally embodied in an internal combustion engine, but it is to be understood that it is not limited to such use but may also be used in connection with operating fluids that are precompressed, such as steam or compressed air or the like.

Briefly, the invention comprises the discovery that the operation of such devices is greatly improved by the provision of a movable closure member that extends between the housing and the piston and continuously bears against the piston and subdivides the free space within :the chamber, with the mounting means of the closure member being disposed outside the periphery of the chamber. Other features of the invention include the provision of a second such closure member, and the particular closure member mounting arrangements.

Other features of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of a rotary piston engine according to the present invention, shown in one operative position;

FIGURES 2-4 are views similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the engine of the invention in successive operative positions;

FIGURE 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the structure shown in FIGURES 1-4 and illustrating the provision of a plurality of cylinder and piston assemblies according to the present invention;

FIGURES 6 and 7 are views similar to FIGURES 1-4 but showing the engine of the invention in still other operative positions.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, there is shown a rotary piston engine including a piston housing G, in which are disposed one or more pistons I mounted on a main shaft 2, which in turn is mounted for rotation about its axis in bearings carried by the housing. Pistons 1 are provided with elongated packing seals 12 which move edgewise of themselves and radially of the shaft 2 and are backed up by springs 14 so that they remain continuously in contact with the periphery of the chamber defined by the housing. An inlet opening 13 is provided for oil injection and an inlet opening 15 is provided for intake of a fuel-air mixture. Opening 16 for the ignition or spark plug or the like is provided, and there is an exhaust 17. An air inlet is indicated at 3.

As indicated above, any number of pistons 1 may be used; and in FIGURE 5, a set of three pistons atice tached to a common shaft 2 is shown by way of example. Springs 14 and packing members 12 are provided on the sides of the pistons to seal off the pistons against the sides of the housing as well as against the periphery of the chamber.

A very important feature of the present invention resides in that a closure member 5 is provided in each working chamber, which is mounted for swinging movement toward and away from the axis of rotation of its associated piston about a pivot 5a and has its free end 5b resting continuously against the periphery of the associated piston 1. Notice especially that pivot 5a is disposed outside the outer periphery of the chamber within which the associated piston 1 rotates. A recess R receives closure member 5 in its retracted position, as in FIGURES 1 and 4, and a coil compression spring acts between the housing and the closure member continuously to urge closure member 5 radially inward of the axis of rotation of the associated piston and against the piston. Closure member 5 is provided with four outwardly spring-urged gaskets 50, one acting against the pistons periphery, one against the periphery of recess R, and the other two on opposite sides of closure member 5 and acting against opposite inner side walls of the casing.

The operation of the device of FIGURES 1-4 and 6 is as follows:

In the position of FIGURE 1, the piston 1 and closure member 5 define between them an intake and explosion chamber 4 which expands in the direction of the arrow p as the piston rotates, so that .the explosion phase of the cycle takes place as seen in FIGURE 1. The explosion turns piston 1 further clockwise with its associated shaft, beyond the position shown in FIGURE 3, where exhaust occurs after the trailing outer edge of the piston exposes opening 17. Finally, the piston ocoupies the position shown in FIGURE 4, where it is sealed all across its outer periphery by closure member 5.

As the piston moves into and beyond the position shown in FIGURE 3, valves (not shown) maintain openings 13 and 15 closed so as to assure exhaust of chamber 4.

It is also important to note that pivot 5a of closure member 5 is disposed outside the inner periphery of the housing. In this position, when explosion takes place in chamber 4, closure member 5 is not urged outward away from the rotational axis of the piston. If anything, it is urged more strongly against the piston by the explosion. Accordingly, the seal between closure member 5 and the piston is no weaker, and may be stronger, than the seal between these two members at other times.

It is also important to note, however, that although closure member 5 cannot be displaced radially outward by pressure in chamber 4, it can be displaced radially outward by pressure in chamber 7, chamber 7 being on the other side of closure member 5 from chamber 4. Thus, air entering through air inlet 3 in the position shown in FIGURE 3 can overcome the spring pressure which urges closure member 5 against piston 1 and can pass between piston 1 and seal 5c and enter chamber 4, where it acts as a cooling medium prior to the next explosion.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in connection with preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, as those skilled in this art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A rotary piston engine comprising a peripheral wall having a cylindrical inner surface and axially spaced end walls defining a chamber having a cylindrical outer periphery, a piston rotatable in the chamber about the axis thereof, an abutment member mounted in the housing wall for limited movement relative to the housing toward and away from said axis, means continuously yieldably urging the abutment member toward the piston, ignition means and a combustion fluid intake port com municating with the chamber on the side of the abutment member in the direction of piston rotation and adjacent thereto, an exhaust port communicating with the chamber and spaced from the ignition means and intake port in the direction of piston rotation, a cooling air intake port communicating with the chamber and spaced from the exhaust port in the direction of piston rotation, it being about 90 in the direction of piston rotation from said cooling air intake port to said abutment member, the abutment member being spaced from the cooling air intake port in the direction of rotation of the .piston, means responsive to the air compressed between said piston and said abutment to cause said abutment to move away from said piston surface, and at least during such periods when said abutment is moved away from said piston, an unrestricted portion of said chamber existing from said abutment in the direction of piston rotation to said exhaust port.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 731,104 6/03 Fuqua 12315 859,474 7/07 Williams 123--15 1,219,829 3/17 Marion 123-15 1,225,056 5/17 Riggs et al. 123-15 1,242,693 10/17 Hibner 12315 1,320,953 11/19 Winn 12315 1,484,124 2/24 Foster et al. 123--15 1,575,860 3/26 Monk 123-14 1,799,527 4/31 Plato 123-14 2,154,095 4/39 Jones 12314 2,744,505 5/56 Sherman 12315 FOREIGN PATENTS 660,163 2/29 France. 827,129 1/ 38 France. 60,200 3/54 France.

(Addition to 1,023,691) 1,093,421 11/54 France.

204,088 11/ 08 Germany. 323,012 7/20 Germany.

SAMUEL LEVINE, Primary Examiner. 

